Encoding and verifying information

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for encoding a device presenting rows of encodable sites and for verifying the correctness of the encoding of such a device, the apparatus including a ram assembly for press-fitting balls or the like, received from a ball-feeder assembly, into selected ones of the encodable sites, which sites take the form of blind cavities. The encodable device is lighttransmitting and, after being encoded, the rows of sites are successively sensed by an optical reader to verify the accuracy of the encoding procedure. Electrical signals, derived from optical signals generated by the reader and representing the code of each row, are converted to Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) data format and stored in a circulating shift register in a row-by-row fashion so that the stored information can be subsequently converted into human readable form.

United States Patent Davis et a1.

[451 June 20, 1972 [54] ENCODING AND VERIFYING INFORMATION [72] Inventors: Louis E. Davis, Bountiful; Billy M. Jensen, Sandy; Floyd L. Larson, Granger; Rainer F. Huck; Stephen L. Stumph, both of Salt Lake City, all of Utah [73 Assignee: Bio-Logics, Inc.

[22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 850,978

[521 Lisa ..29/211 11, 29/2osc, 235/61.7B 51 int. c1...- ..B23q 7/10, B23p 19/04, G06k 1/00 Field 61 Search ..235/61.6, 61.65, 61.7, 61.71,

235/61.8, 61.9, 61.11, 61.115; 340/165, 347 DD; 346/56, 146; 29/211 R, 208 C [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 2,952,008 9/1960 Mitchell et al ..235/6 1.7 A 2,569,879 10/1951 Balde 235/61.6 K

2,591,448 4/1952 Lorenz ..235/61 9 2,832,063 4/1958 McMillan et al. 235/61.6 K 2,877,450 3/1959 Hamilton 235/61 6 2,888,666 5/1959 Epstein .235/61.6 3,083,903 4/1963 Larson ..235/61.6 I

3,204,086 8/ 1965 Flesch et al ..235/61.9 3,445,635 5/1969 Trickett et a1. ..235/61.l 1

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Credit Card Reader, by G. W. Bowers, Jr. and E. G. Laenen, I.B.M. Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 9, No. 12, May 1967'pp. 2.

Primary Examiner-Daryl W. Cook Attorney-Lynn G. Foster [57] ABSTRACT Method and apparatus for encoding a device presenting rows of encodable sites and for verifying the correctness of the encoding of such a device, the apparatus including a ram assembly for press-fitting balls or the like, received from a ballfeeder assembly, into selected ones of the encodable sites, which sites take the form of blind cavities. The encodable device is light-transmitting and, after being encoded, the rows of sites are successively sensed by an optical reader to verify the accuracy of the encoding procedure. Electrical signals,

derived from optical signals generated by the reader and representing the code of each row, are converted to Binary' Coded Decimal (BCD) data format and stored in a circulating shift register in a row-by-row fashion so that the stored information can be subsequently converted into human readable form.

13 Claims, 30 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzo m2 3, 670. 386

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LOUIS E. DAVIS BILLY M. JENSEN FLOYD L. LARSON RAINER F. HUCK STEPHEN L. STUMPH ATTORNEY P'ATENTEDJUMO m2 3. 670.386

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7 I F V G sos\ Grounding Circuits 592 i r G2 G4 G5 G5 6| 3 e 7 FIG. l9

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PATENTEDqnnzo m2 SHEET 15 0F 15 The present invention relates generally to identification systems and particularly to methods and apparatus for encoding and verifying the encoding of a device.

BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An encodable device is encoded by selective impression of information representations. The placement of the information representations is checked for accuracy by a reader, the signals of which are output to a computer, printer or display for visual consideration by the operator.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide novel apparatus and methods for encoding devices.

Another paramount object is the provision of novel apparatus and methods for processing information afler it has been read from an encoded device.

Another significant object of the present invention is the provision of novel method and apparatus for verifying the accuracy of code representations placed on encodable devices.

Another principal object of the present invention is the provision of novel apparatus and methods for impressing code information upon devices and for verifying the accuracy of the representations prior to use.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic perspective representation viewed largely from the top of an encoding and verifying apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of one suitable identification device; since circulating levels.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the ball feeding structure of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with parts broken away for clarification purposes;

FIG. 4 is a plan view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6a is a side elevation of the encoder carrier with parts broken away;

FIG. 6b is a plan view of the encoder carrier of FIG. 6a;

I FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the encoder carrier of FIG. 6a also illustrating the cable takeup drum;

FIG. 8 is a cross section of the takeup drum along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9a is a side elevation of the encoder escapement mechanism;

FIG. 9b is an end elevation partly in cross section of the encoder escapement mechanism;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 9b;

FIG. 11 is a front elevation of the ram assembly;

FIG. 12 is an clevational view, partly in cross section taken along line 12-12 ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13I3 of FIG. 1 1;

FIG. 14 is a perspective representation of the reader carrier;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the return mechanism for the reader carrier;

FIG. 16 is a perspective representation of the optical reader;

FIG. 17 is a cross section taken along line 17--17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of the encoder circuit logic;

FIG. 18a illustrates circuit diagrams of the blocks of FIG. 18;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of the reader circuit logic;

FIG. 20 is a circuit diagram of the optical transducer;

FIG. 21 illustrates the circuit diagram for the BCD converter and the parity generator;

FIG. 22 illustrates circuit diagrams for the delay and shaping circuit, the parity checker, the parity fail light and terminate read circuit, the row checker, and the circuit to turn on the row count light;

FIG. 23 illustrates a circuit diagram for the OR circuit and for an associated reset circuit;

FIG. 24 illustrates a circuit for the circulating MOS storage shift registers;

FIG. 25 illustrates circuits for the BCD to 7-segment converter and for the 7-segment displays;

FIG. 26 illustrates a circuit of the free-running clock;

FIG. 27 illustrates a circuit for the timer, for the select switch and for the grounding circuits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT While the present invention has many applications, it will hereinafter be described in connection with the numeric encoding of an encodable light-transmitting identification device by electromechanically pressing opaque balls into selected ones of spaced and aligned blind recesses in the device. To

verify the correct placement of the balls, the encoded device is passed through an. optical reader which causes the display of the numeric equivalent of the code representations (balls) impressed on the device. Like numerals are used in this specification to designate like parts.

GENERAL Reference is made to FIG. I which pictorially represents an encoding-reading console, generally designated 20. The apparatus 20 is provided with a contoured housing 22 which contains an encoder, adapted to receive an encodable identification device 31 (FIG. 2) by rectilinear translation of an encoder carrier of an assembly 26 of the encoder. The identification device comprises rows of spaced and aligned blind recesses 33 for selectively receiving shot or balls 27 in press-fit relation at the encoder, the identification device being lighttransmitting and the balls being opaque to accommodate subsequent optical reading.

Once the encoder carrier, with the identitification device 31 properly inserted in the device-receiving groove 28, has been correctly translated into the encoder, a ram assembly will selectively press the balls into appropriate blind recesses 33 in the device 31 on a row-by-row basis corresponding to the nu meral button or key of the keyboard 32 depressed by the operator for each row. The ram assembly receives a continuous supply of balls from a ball-feeder assembly and an indicator drum is rotated in correspondence to the to and fro rectilinear displacement of the encoder carrier by utilization of a takeup drum mechanism to at all times indicate at window 40 the row of blind recesses of the identification device 31 currently ready to be encoded. As each row of blind recesses 33 is encoded, the encoder carrier will be stepped one increment toward its original at-rest position illustrated in FIG. 1.

Once the encoder carrier has been returned to its original, at-rest position with the encoded identification device 31 in the groove 28, the device is removed and placed in the corresponding groove 42 of the reader carriage of an assembly 44 for insertion into the reader of the apparatus 20. The reader optically senses the location of the opaque balls in the selected blind recesses 33 of the identification device 31 as the reader carriage is spring-retumed at a constant rate to its original, atrest position illustrated in FIG. 1. In the event of a parity error, determined by circuit logic, a light will be illuminated at window 48. In the event too many rows are counted, the error will be made evident to the operator by the illumination of light at a window 50.

The logic circuit of the reader causes illumination of numerals on the display panel 52 on a row-by-row basis identical to the numerals represented by the encoding balls in the corresponding rows of the identification device. Where the number of encoded rows exceed the number of lamps in the display 52, a selector switch 54 is used to first illuminate the numeric equivalents of one set of coded rows followed by illumination of a second set.

THE BALL-FEEDER ASSEMBLY The ball-feeder assembly, generally designated 34, is best i1- lustrated in FIGS. 3-5, inclusive. A supply of spherical balls (not shown) is contained within a reservoir 60 and replenished from time to time by the operator. The reservoir which is generally cylindrical in configuration although tapered at 62 to define a restricted outlet port 64 through which balls may pass. In use, the top opening 66, through which the reservoir 60 is replenished, is sealed by a cap 68 which contains an O- ring 70 in a groove of a downwardly extending lip 73. Thus, when the cap 68 is forced into the opening 66 a press-fit relationship is established.

Balls issuing from the egress port 64 of the ball reservoir 60 pass through the hollow interior of a ball feed tube 72 and a tubular fitting 74 over which the tube 72, which is preferably of flexible plastic, is press-fit at its lower end.

The lower end of the fitting 74 is anchored to a ball feed housing 76 which defines a concealed ball-storage compartment 78 communicated with the interior of the fitting 74 through port 75. The compartment 78 is disposed between the longitudinally extending flanges 80 and the transversely extending flanges 82. The housing 76 is appropriately screwsecured to the base 84 of the ram assembly.

The hollow compartment 78 communicates with five vertical bores 86 through ramp passageways 88 each terminating at their upper end in a horizontally disposed groove 90 in the base 84. The exact nature, purpose and construction of each bore 86 will hereinafter be more fully explained.

A shift late 92 is interposed between the cavity 90 and the compartment 78 and is adapted to be reciprocated in a leftright fashion, as viewed in FIG. 5, through slots 98 in the flanges 82 of the housing 76 across the top surface 100 of the ram base 84.

The shift plate 92 serves to agitate the spherical balls contained within the compartment 78 causing the balls to move through the tapered port 102 in the plate 92 and ultimately into respective vertical bores 86. Serrations 104 disposed transversely across the top of the plate 90 assist in the mentioned agitation.

The to and fro rectilinear translation of the plate 92 is caused by a motor 106 which rotates a drive shaft 108 thereby turning an eccentric 110, disposed about the shaft 108 in nonrotatable relation. The rotation of the eccentric 110 causes translation, right-left as viewed in FIG. 5, of a crank 112 which is rotatably joined to the eccentric 110 immediately above its lower flange and is pin-connected at 114 to the shifts plate. Hence, translation of the crank 112 causes corresponding rectilinear translation of the plate 92. It is preferred that the pin 114 be non-rotatably coupled to the crank 112, as by use of a setscrew. Likewise, a setscrew can be used to nonrotatably join the eccentric 110 to the drive shaft 108. The motor 106 is illustrated as being screw-secured to the frame 85 of the apparatus by means of av plurality of posts 120. One suitable motor 106 is a Hurst motor-gear Model EA.

THE CARRIER ASSEMBLY FOR THE ENCODER The Encoder Carrier The encoder carrier assembly 26 comprises the previously mentioned encoder carrier 160 which presents a contoured abutment surface 162 for manually inserting the carrier into the initial encoding position with the identification device 31 disposed in the groove 28. The carrier 160 comprises a slide body 164 disposed beneath the groove 28 the bottom surface 166 of which is spaced above the apparatus base 85. The carrier 160 provides support for the ram to drive balls into the device 31, which is carried by the carrier 160. The top slide plate 161 is rigidly joined to the slide body 164 by an erect connector 163. The body 164 contains two longitudinally directed parallel guide-bores 168 through which guide rods 170 slidably extend in close tolerance relation so that the carrier is precisely displaced from the illustrated at-rest position of the FIG. 6a to the initial encoding position inside the apparatus 20.

The two guide rods are anchored to the base 85 by block mounts 172 secured at each end of the rods. When in the initial encoding position, the carrier 160 will be disposed immediately below the base 84 of the ram assembly such that the left row of encodable blind recesses 33 in the identification device 31 as viewed in FIG. 6a will be disposed in alignment with the bottom opening of the ball-issuing vertical bores 86.

A cable clamp mounted to one side of the body 164 tightly grips a cable 182 (see especially FIG. 6b), which cable passes around spaced pulleys 184 and 186 to a takeup mechanism, generally designated 190 (FIG. 7) and hereinafter more fully described.

The Takeup Mechanism When the carrier 160 is moved to the initial encoding position, the takeup mechanism 190 will rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 7 against its spring-bias allowing enough cable 182 to leave the drum sufiicient to accommodate the mentioned displacement of the carrier 160. The mechanism 190 is so biased as to rewind the distributed cable 182 as the carrier 160 is incremented back to its at-rest position.

With particular reference to FIG. 8, the takeup assembly,

which is constructed as are carriage return drums currently used in typewriters, comprises a central shaft 200 rotatably mounted in bearings upon support brackets 202 and 204. A windable spring bearing 206, an indicator drum 208 and the pulley takeup drum 192 are all non-rotatably mounted upon the shaft 200. The takeup drum assembly 190 is biased by windable spring assembly 206 as is conventional, the spring being wound by displacement of the carrier 160 from the atrest to the initial encoding position. The bias of the wound spring provides the force for returning the carrier 160 to the initial at-rest position under control of the escapement mechanism 220, best illustrated in FIGS. 9a and 9b.

The outside surface of the flange 212 of the pulley indicator drum 208 carries a sequence of numerals corresponding to the number of rows of blind recesses in the identification device.

The numerals on the flange 212 are so ordered that when the carrier 160 is depressed into its initial encoding position and the indicator drum 208 is correspondingly rotated, the number identification of the left (first) row of the identification device (the first row to be encoded) will appear at the window 40. As the carrier 160 is indexed a row at a time back toward its at-rest position, the indicator drum 208 will correspondingly index so that numerals successively higher in increments of plus one successively appear at the window 40 to at all times provide visual identification to the operator of the exact row ready to be encoded.

The Escapement Mechanism The escapement mechanism 220 (FIGS. 90, 9b and 10) is activated by an escapement solenoid 222, which is mounted upon a bracket 224 to the base 85 of the apparatus 20. When the escapement solenoid 222 is activated and its armature 226 retracted, the escapement pawl 228 will be momentarily lifted out of engagement with an escapement rack 230 which is rigidly secured to one side of the body 164 of the encoder carrier 160. When the pawl 228 is lifted free of the rack 230, the force of the takeup drum assembly 190 exerted through the cable 182 upon the carrier 160 will cause the carrier to index one increment closer to the at-rest position. Continued displacement of the rack 230 and the carrier 160 is prevented by an instanteous return of the pawl 228 into restraining engagement with the rack 230 caused by a return spring.

structurally, as can be seen by reference to the FIGS. 9a, 9b and 10, the armature 226 of the solenoid 222 is pivotally coupled to an escapement lever 232, the counterclockwise rotation of which, as viewed in FIG. 9a, is restricted by stop pin 234 mounted so as to project-to one side of the bearing housing 236. The housing 236 is secured to the base 85 and rotatably carries a shaft 238 to which the lever 232 is nonrotatably coupled at one side of the housing 236. The escapement pawl 228 has an off-set portion 240 which is nonrotatably secured to the shaft 238 on the opposite side of the housing 236. v

The mentioned indexing of the carrier 160 by release of the pawl 228 from engagement with the rack 230, causes a corresponding indexing of the indicator drum 208. When the indexing is complete, the indicator drum will display the number representative of the row into which balls may be inserted.

The Ram Assembly The ram assembly 30 best illustrated in FIGS. 11' and 12, provides the force necessary to drive a selected two of the five vertically-erect pins 250, (FIGS. 11 and 13) from the illustrated position to a downwardly-displaced position such that two balls 27 which are respectively disposed in each of the previously described vertical bores 86, one ball in each of the two selected bores are driven into the aligned blind recess'33 of the identification device 31 (see especially FIG. 13) by the two pins. Each pin 250 is biased toward its illustrated elevated positions shown in FIG. 13 by a spring 252 which abuts against the lower surface of an enlarged head 254 of the pin and against the top surface 100 of the ram base 84. Each spring 250 is also normally held in the elevated, at-rest position by engagement of a detent headed pin 256 with female, mating groove 258 of the pin. The detent headed pin 256 is trapped for reciprocable movement in a horizontal passageway 260 in the base 84 and is spring-biased by the spring 262 against the groove 258. A plug 264 restrains the other end of the spring 262.

In like manner, a detent ball 266 restrains the one encoding ball 27 in each vertical bore 86, as illustrated in FIG. 13. The detent ball 266 is trapped within a bore 268 which is plugged at 270 such that one end of the spring 272 butts against the plug and the other againstthe mentioned detent ball 266.

With particular reference now to FIGS. 11 and 12, the manner in which the ram assembly 30 displaces two selected pins of the five will be described. The ram 290 of the assembly 30 is generally U-shaped as viewed in FIG. 11 and contains two oppositely extending pairs of lugs 292 in which are disposed vertical bores which slidably receive slide rods 294. The slide rods 294 are retained in their illustrated vertical orientation by reason of being rigidly anchored to the base 84. The guide rods'294 respectively pass through vertical bores disposed within inwardly directed lugs 296 of the ram frame 298. As can best be visualized from FIG. 11, the frame 298 is configurated as an inverted U and is rigidly anchored to the assembly base 84.

A horizontally disposed pin 300 is non rotatably anchored to the ram 290 and spans between the legs 302 and 304 of the ram so as to rotatably pass through an aperture 306 disposed in horizontal orientation near the top of each of five pins key 308. Each pin key 308 when at rest hangs by force leaf spring 311 into the position illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 12 so that the right edge 310 abuts the left surface of the stop bar 312. In this at-rest position downward movement of the ram 290 from the illustrated position to the encoding position will cause the driving surface 314 of the driving head of the pin key 308 in questionto miss or not engage the head 254 of the associated pin 250.

Provision is made for displacing two of the five pins (during a single cycle of the ram 290) from the solid position of FIG. 12 to the dotted line position. The manner and mechanism for doing this will be hereinafter more fully explained. In any event, when a given pin key 308 is disposed in the active dotted line position of FIG. 12, downward movement of the ram 290 will cause the hammer surface 314 of that pin key 308 to engage the head 254 of the associated pin 250 causing that pin to drive the ball 27, located in the associated vertical bore 86, into the aligned recess 33. The stop bar 318 restricts the clockwise rotation of each pin key 308 as viewed in FIG. 12. 1

The ram assembly 30 utilizes an overcenter linkage 330 to provide adequate mechanical advantage for driving the ram 290 into its lower, ball-inserting (encoding) position. The overcenter linkage consists of four links 332, two of which are rotatably coupled by pin 334 to the top of the ram 290. The other two of links 332 are likewise rotatably coupled to the lower portion of a clevis 336 which is bolt-secured to the frame 298 central of the crossbar at the top thereof, utilizing the connection pin 338. Each link 332 is connected rotatably at one end thereof to a central overcenter drive shah 340. Spacers 342 separate a pull link 344 from the inside two links 332 (see FIG. 11). The pull link 334 is also secured at a horizontally-disposed bore 346 at one end thereof to the pin 340 (see FIG. 12).

Thus, when the ram solenoid 350, attached at ,plate 352 to the ram frame 298, is activated, the plunger 354 is retracted. The plunger 354, being pin connected at 356 to the pull link 344, displaces the link 344 toward the right as viewed in FIG. 12, causing a straightening of the dog-leg configuration of the overcenter links 332. This drives theram 290 from its illustrated at-rest position to its ball-inserting position. The link 344 and the overcenter drive linkage 330 return to their atrest illustrated positions when the solenoid 350 is deenergized by force of a return extension spring 360 which spans between an aperture 362 in the associated 344 and a groove in the distal end 364 of a pin 366 secured to the clevis 336. optical reader.

A series of five position solenoids 400, only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 12, responds to the depression of a button on the keyboard 32 such that two of the five solenoids 400 are activated by an electrical signal from the encoder circuit logic. Each solenoid 400 is secured to the plate 352, and, upon actuation, the plunger 402 thereof is retracted causing displacement of the associated code link 404, which takes the configuration of a bell crank and is restrained by a spring 406. Each spring406 abuts against a recess surface 409 in the plate 352 and against the code link 404 around the fillet at the base of a projection 408 about which the spring 406 turns.

The mentioned retraction of the plunger 402 and associated link 404 causes a clockwise rotation of the associated crank 410 which is rotatably connected to the link 404 by means of a pivot pin 412. Each crank 410 pivots upon a common shaft 414 which bridges between the legs of a bracket 416, which bracket is secured to the frame 298.

The mentioned clockwise rotation of a given crank 410 will cause the tow 418 of the crank to engage the associated pin key 308 displacing the key from the solid to the dotted position illustrated in FIG. 12.

Thus, by pushinga button upon the keyboard 32, the operator will actuate two of the five solenoids 400 immediately preceding actuation of the ram solenoid 350 thereby displacing two of the five pins key 308 so that the two hammer surface 314 thereof are disposed immediately above the associated head 254 of two pins 250. As the ram 290 descends responsive to the actuation of the solenoid 350, two of the five pins 250 will be displaced to insert two balls 27 into two of the five blind recesses 33 aligned with the bores 86. The other three pins key 308 will pass harmlessly to one side of the associated pins 250.

The Verifier or Reader In general, the purpose of the reader or verifier portion of the apparatus 20 is to provide an accurate operator check to insure that the identification device 31 was properly encoded with information representations, in the form of balls, by the previously described encoder.

The Reader Carrier Assembly When the identification device 31 is to be verified for correctness, it is placed in the reader carrier 430 of the reader carrier assembly 44. The slot or stepped bore 42 is reserved for this purpose and a contoured abutment surface 432 is provided for the operator, using his thumb, to slide the carrier 430 from the inactive position illustrated in FIG. 1 to an initial reading position within the apparatus 20. Thereafter, the code verification occurs automatically and the numeric equivalents of the code on a row-by-row basis are illuminated at the display panel 52 (FIG. 1). In addition to the top plate 431, the carrier 430 integrally comprises vertically erect columns 434 which also serve as spacers and a bottom, horizontally disposed slide plate 436, which is reciprocably received in side notches 438 of spaced tracks 440. The tracks 440 are preferably formed of nylon or similar plastic material to accommodate smooth displacement of the slide plate 436 with a minimum of wear. The slide plates 440 are suitably anchored rigidly to the base 85 of the apparatus and extend through the optical reader.

Importantly, the device-receiving upper plate 431 contains a row of vertically-disposed apertures 442 which are aligned horizontally with the blind recesses 33 of the device 31 when inserted into the stepped opening 42. The number of holes 442 correspond to the number of rows of blind recesses 33 and serve in conjunction with the hereinafter described optical reader to issue permit-to-read" signals used to perform certain electrical tests among which is one designed to advise the operator that a certain error has occurred.

As is evident by reference to FIG. 15, after the reader carriage 430 has been rectilinearly displaced into the housing of the apparatus to its initial reading position, release by the operator causes the carriage 430 to immediate return to its original at-rest position without further operator action. This is due to the fact that the carriage 430 is attached to a closed loop cable 450 anchored at 452 and 454 to the spacers 434 and passing around four pulleys 456 as illustrated to an attachment site 458 to a cable attachment bar 460 eccentrically, non-rotatably anchored near the leading end of a piston rod 462. The closed loop cable assists in reducing or eliminating chatter. The piston rod extends from a dashpot cylinder 464 which is anchored rigidly to the base of the apparatus 85 by use of a bracket 466. The eccentric cable attachment bar 460 is also secured to one end of an extension spring 468. The other end of the spring 468 is anchored to the base 85 at pin 470. Consequently, when the carriage 430, in its initial reading position, is released by the operator, the spring 468 is substantially extended exerting tension upon the piston rod 462 and urging the closed loop cable 450 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 15. The force of the spring 468 returns the carrier 430 to its initial at-rest position external of the housing of the apparatus at a substantially uniform rate controlled by the rate of venting of the dashpot cylinder 464.

The Optical Reader When the identification device 31 is correctly positioned for initial reading, it is located within the optical transducer reader 480 (see FIGS. 16 and 17). The reader 480 comprises an inverted U-shaped opening 482 into which the tracks 440 are disposed and through which the carrier 430 reciprocates. The reciprocation of the carrier 430 will correctly interpose the identification device 31 between upper and lower masks 484 and 486. The masks 484 and 486 have five vertical bores 488 and 490 respectively, each bore 488 being in alignment with one bore 490 and with one blind recess 33 in the device 31. An additional vertical bore 492 in the upper mask is aligned with a similar bore 494 in the lower mask, and together are successively aligned with each permit -to-read bores 442 in the top plate 431 of the carriage 430. A light source 496 and a reflector 498 are suitably disposed below the bores 490 and 494 causing light to travel through the lastmentioned bores when the lamp 496 is illuminated. If no ball is present in the device 31 between aligned top and bottom bores, the associated photo transistor disposed immediately above the top bore and carried by the board 500 will turn on and provide an increased voltage level to its output lead 502. When no light is received due to the presence of an opaque ball 27 in the aligned blind recess 33, a relatively low voltage level is maintained by the associated photo transistor 504. Encoder Circuit Logic Thus, in the described manner, as the identification device 31 is displaced from its initial reading position to its at-rest position, the photo transistors scan row-by-row and input voltage levels within the photo transducer block, either high or low. The circuit logic converts the outputs of the photo transducer block into a human readable output at the display panel 52 (FIG. 1). Timing signals are similarly generated by the photo transistor 506 as light passes through the bores 494 and 492 each time a permit-to-read" hole 442 is in alignment with the last-mentioned bores.

ENCODER CIRCUIT LOGIC Specific reference is now made to FIGS. 18 and which illustrate the encoder circuit logic 520. When supply power is initially activated the position solenoid, time delay and ram solenoid are all turned off. The switch SW 1 of the disable circuit 521 is in a position such that the entire circuit is grounded. Capacitor C of the one shot power source 522 has charged to a positive voltage through resistor R with a short time constant.

The operator then depresses a key, 0 through 9, of the keyboard which may be Model SB-033, manufactured by ALCO Electronic Products, Inc., of Laurence, Massachusetts. With this, a single positive going pulse is applied through one line 523 to the diode decoding circuit 524 which turns on the appropriate two of the five SCRs 1-5 of the position latch circuit 525 which energize and latch the coils of the two associated position solenoids 400 which represent the number of the depressed key in two out of five code. The R-C circuits on the gates of the SCR 1-5 prevent tum-on due to stray electrical noise.

When the two position SCRs are actuated, a positive-going voltage is deployed through the decoupling diode group, D26-30, and through the current limiting resistor R into the gate of SCR 7. This turns on SCR 7 which then turns on the time delay circuit 526.

The time constant of the circuit is controlled by resistor R and capacitor C When capacitor C has charged sufficiently, it turns on SCR 6 through resistor R SCR 6 then supplies voltage to energize the ram solenoid 350.

The solenoid operates the described mechanical devices which, together with the position solenoid, encodes the identification device with the appropriate code. When the ram solenoid or solenoids 350 have pressed the balls 27 into the blind recesses 33, it mechanically switches switch SW 1 to momentarily disconnect the common ground 527 from the circuit. This causes all SCRs to turn off and thereby causes all solenoids to return to their relaxed positions.

It is important to note that the cycle will not repeat itself until the initiating key is released and the capacitor C can become recharged.

Finally, when switch SW 1 de-activates the circuit, it also provides a pulse which causes the encode-carrier to advance into position for the next operation by grounding one end of the coil of the escapement solenoid 222.

Depression of the space bar provides a signal through line 530 also causing the encoder carrier and identification device to advance one position.

Reader Circuit Logic The output of the transisters 504 and 506 in the optical transducer 507 consists of five information lines 503 bearing the two of five code signals A through E and one timing line 503a bearing the so-called permit-to-read" signal F. See FIG. 19. The permit-to-read signal is conditioned by the delay 

1. In an apparatus for encoding a device with information representations comprising: a set of encoding structures enabled by electrical signals to move from an initial position to an encoding position and circuitry means comprising power source means, circuit means for controlling the encoding structure and silicon-controlled rectifiers, the rectifIers being interposed in electrical communication between the power source means and the control circuit means to continuously maintain a power supply to the control circuit means over an extended period of time following receipt of one shot of power from a power source means.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said set of encoding structures comprises means registerable with each member of a row of potential information sites in an identification device; means for predetermining which of the registerable means are selected to impress representations upon the device; means for actuating the predetermined ones of the registerable means until the representations are impressed upon the device.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the registerable means comprises a plurality of displaceable impressing pins and wherein said driving means comprises a reciprocable drive train imparting a driving force through only the predetermined ones of the impressing pins.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said set of encoding structures comprises drive means accommodating reciprocable displacement and, when activated, exerting a driving force; means normally spaced out of responsive contact with the drive means and comprising means aligned with respective information-receiving sites of an identification device and operable to insert data indicia within said device at said respective sites; and means selectively interposed between and drive means and the spaced means to activate only predetermined ones of the aligned means to impress data indicia in corresponding information-receiving sites only.
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further comprising means for indexing the identification device to bring another set of information-receiving sites into impressing relation with the aligned means.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said indexing means comprises means for stepping the identification device from set to set without actuation of the driving means.
 7. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 further comprising carriage means for receiving the device at an initial location, means biasing the carriage means toward the initial position and means accommodating displacement of the carriage means against the bias into an encoding location.
 8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising cable means connecting the carriage means to takeup means and means associated with the takeup means for displaying indicia representing the particular set of information-receiving sites available for being impressed with information.
 9. Apparatus for impressing information representations upon an identification device having sets of information-receiving sites comprising: drive means accommodating reciprocable displacement and, when activated, exerting a driving force; means normally spaced out of responsive contact with the drive means and comprising means aligned with each one of the set of information-receiving sites; means selectively interposed between the drive means and the spaced means to activate only predetermined ones of the aligned means to impress representations in corresponding information-receiving sites only; said drive means comprises an overcenter linkage exerting a generally vertically-directed force and further comprising a ball-receiving chamber situated between the identification device and each aligned means and a spherical ball disposed in the chamber so that when the generally vertical force actuates the predetermined ones of the aligned means, the ball will be impressed into a ball-receiving recess in the device for each of the actuated aligned means.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 further comprising ball supply means for delivering balls to the ball-receiving chamber.
 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 further comprising agitating means disposed between the ball supply means and the ball-receiving chamber for insuring a continuous supply of balls to the ball-receiving chaMber.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said set of encoding structures comprises means for positioning a predetermined number of a plurality of actuating levers into alignment with corresponding impressing pins, the device to be encoded being disposed so that a set of encodable sites is in an encoding position relative to the impressing pins, means for actuating a ram into engagement with the predetermined actuating levers so that each corresponding impressing pin causes a code indicia to be inserted within the device in the selected ones of the encodable sites; and means triggering an escapement mechanism for indexing the device so that another set of encodable sites becomes disposed in the encoding position relative to the impressing pins.
 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 further comprising means for rectilinearly displacing the information device from an initial position into an encoding position and wherein said escapement means comprises (a) means for urging the information device toward its initial position and (b) means accommodating limited incremental displacement of the device toward the initial position upon actuation of the triggering means. 